International Shipping

Swag.com offers international shipping to 180 countries, APO/FPO military addresses, and US territories. The import fees are paid for by Swag.com when possible; however, there are times recipients may be required to cover some of the duties or taxes.

How do you handle customs?

Duties and taxes are due on all packages imported into a country. Swag.com uses UPS to broker international shipments as they are the largest customs broker in the world.  97% of all packages brokered by UPS are cleared the same day they are submitted.

Swag.com attempts to take care of all customs' logistics, costs and paperwork for no additional charge. Most of the time, the final receiver of a Swag.com package won't have to pay any import fees; however, there are a few instances where duties and taxes may need to be paid by the recipient for the package to be released. 

Some of the most common reasons a receiver would have to pay duties and taxes for their package:

• Packages delivered through UPS Economy Innovations - UPS Economy Innovations is selected as the ship method when an international shipment is under 4lbs and has no guaranteed arrival date. These shipments do not allow for anyone but the receiver to pay duties and taxes since the local post office in the destination country is responsible for delivery.  
• Destination Country Cannot Accept Fees from UPS - Certain countries (e.g. New Caledonia and Russia) are not set up to receive payments for duties and taxes from UPS; therefore, they require the receiver to pay the fees.
• Destination Country Requires Receiver to Specify Broker - Some countries require the receiver of the package to specify who they want to broker their shipments. Receivers need to specify they want UPS to broker their shipment since they are already listed as the broker of record.
  • If a customs office requires a 3rd Party Broker for the shipment, the receiver is fully responsible for coordinating the 3rd Party Broker and/or the fees associated.  
• Customs Agencies Ask for Duplicate Payment of Fees - Countries such as Brazil, Russia and South Africa may attempt to receive double the duties and taxes unless the receiver specifically explains that the import fees were already covered by the shipper.
• Destination Country Requires Receiver to pay Special Taxes - Certain countries have special taxes that apply to shipments containing specific products and require the receiver to pay these charges. An example is the Formaldehyde Testing Fee on clothing to Vietnam.
• Swag.com is not responsible or liable for the return of shipments where the receiver did not coordinate with UPS/Customs to facilitate clearance. Swag.com is not responsible/liable for shipments that miss guaranteed or on/before dates due to customs delays.

Packages delivered through Lowest Cost or Lowest Cost with Tracking methods

This method can be used when an international shipment is under 4 lbs and doesn't have a guaranteed arrival date. These shipments do not allow for anyone but the receiver to pay for the duties and taxes since the local post in the destination country is responsible for delivery. Additionally, the recipient is responsible for clearing all customs holds with their local office.

Since the local post offices take control of the packages, we are not able to guarantee delivery or confirmation of delivery for these shipments.

Destination country cannot accept fees from UPS

Certain countries (i.e. Russia, Ukraine, and New Caledonia) are not set up to receive payments for duties and taxes from UPS; therefore, they require the receiver to pay the fees.

Destination country requires receiver to specify broker

Some countries require the receiver of the package to specify who they want to broker their shipments. Receivers will need to specify they want UPS to broker their shipment since they are already listed as the broker of record.  

- If a customs office requires a 3rd Party Broker for the shipment, the receiver is fully responsible for coordinating the 3rd Party Broker and/or the fees associated.  

Customs agencies ask for duplicate payment of fees

Countries such as Brazil, Russia, and South Africa may attempt to receive double the duties and taxes unless the receiver specifically explains that the import fees were already covered by the shipper.

Destination country requires receiver to pay special taxes 

Certain countries have special taxes that apply to shipments containing specific products and require the receiver to pay these charges. An example is the Formaldehyde Testing Fee on clothing to Vietnam. 

What shipping fees do you cover?

Swag.com attempts to cover all of the shipping fees below; however, as mentioned above, there are a few instances where the duties and taxes may need to be paid for by the recipient.

• Address corrections
• Brokerage fees
• Goods and services taxes
• Residential delivery fees
• Fuel surcharges
• Duties
• Returns
• Value added tax

What actions are required with UPS and Customs by you and the recipients of your shipment?

UPS will make contact with the recipient (via email or phone) to help get the package through customs. This is why having accurate contact information for the recipient is so critical. When the recipient is contacted, UPS will ask them who they’d like to use as a broker for the shipment. We recommend selecting UPS as the broker instead of a 3rd party. If you choose a 3rd party broker, you will be responsible for coordinating with the broker directly, and we will be unable to support you. Selecting a third party could also cause additional delivery delays.

In addition to UPS, Customs offices may also contact the recipient for further information/documentation in order to clear the shipment for delivery. They will also use the phone number and e-mail address that was provided at the time of the shipment submission. A prompt and accurate response will speed up the customs clearance process.

International Shipments to a Hotel

When hosting an event at an international venue, Swag.com suggests shipping to the event directly (using the trade shows specific directions for shipping/receiving) or finding a local contact/resident to ship to directly.  If you need to ship to a hotel directly, please follow the steps below:

1. Ensure the hotel is able to accept shipments
2. If the hotel is able to accept shipments, ask them for specific shipping directions to ensure proper clearance and delivery

The hotel staff/front desk employees will ultimately be responsible for clearing the package through customs before delivery.  When shipping directly to a hotel, Swag.com is not responsible for missed delivery dates due to delays in customs clearance.

Have a question? We’re here to help! Please reach out to customer@swag.com or chat with a rep!